Menzo a



(No Model.)

M. A. SMITH. BOB.

No. 488,582. Patented Dec; 27, 1892.

m: Nonms PETERS ccmy FNDTuLITHoY, wAsmNT u UNrrE STATES .WENT Erica.l

MENZO A. SMITH, OF COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK.

HOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,582, dated December27, 1892.

Application tiled May 2, 1892. Serial No. 431,439. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concer-7c.-

Be it known that I, MENZO A. SMlTH, of Cooperstown, in the county ofOtsego and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form part of this speci-'fication My invention relates to improvements in hoes.

It is the object of my invention to provide by a simple and inexpensiveimprovement a hoe that will do more work with less power and admit ofthe use of a hoe that is much smaller in proportion to the work to beperformed than those heretofore used.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specificationand in which similar gures of reference refer to the same parts in theseveral vews, Figure l, shows, in perspective, my improved hoe. Figs. 2and 3 show, in perspective, modilied forms of constructions embodyingsubstantially the same principle. Fig. la shows a side elevation of thehoe shown in Fig. l. Figs.2El and 3 show side views of the devices shownin Figs. 2 and 3, respectively.

Referring more specifically 'to the reference numerals marked on thedrawings in a more particular description ofthe device, l indicates thehoe blade, which is hung by means of a goose-neck shank 2, on a handle3. The blade l consists' of parts la and l,I

the latter portion being straight or plain. The part la is preferablymade integral with or welded on to the goose-neck shank of the hoe andis set at about a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle,while the part lb, which has a plain straight cutting edge, is set at anacute angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle. The part la iswholly or mostly above the line of the handle, the bend joining the twoparts, and which may be curved or more or less sharp, being near thepart lb into so nearly a vertical position that it acts as a back andprevents the earth falling over the rear of the blade.

In the operation of hoeing and especially billing, the earth is cut andloosened by the part Ilb of the blade and carried forward being heldthereon by the part la. In other words the upper part 1f of the bladeserves as a stop to prevent the earth, which is being drawn forward inbilling, from escaping from the hoe, so while the hoe is held in suchconvenient operative position that the forward orlower part lbof theblade will cut the earth at an acuteangle,therearorupperpartlaof theblade will have a good hold on the dirt being drawn toward the operator.The part 1b of the blade, engaging the earth at a more acute angle thanit otherwise could except for the back retaining it, in drawing the hoeforward, loosens it with the application of less force than wouldotherwise be required and the hoe will feed into the earth without theapplication of much force in a vertical line.

This hoe will pulverize the earth more thoroughly than the ordinarystraight blade, as the loosened earth moving against the upper backportion of the blade is broken up thereby.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

A'hoe consisting of a handle, a goose-neck shank, and a blade consistingof a part 1a attached to said goose-neck shank and hung at substantiallyright angles to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and a cutting partl" set at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the said handle andhaving a plain straight cutting edge.

In witness whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

MENZO A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE C. CARTER, JosIAH PERRY.

